1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for storing baseball-style caps having a bill, and more particularly to a wall-mounted cap holder and display device which both shapes and retains the unique shape of the bill while facilitating display of each of the caps.
2. Description of Related Art
Baseball-style caps having a frontal bill are extremely popular and provide both eye and face shade as well as an opportunity to show pride in an athletic team, location or the like by the display attached to the front of the cap. Applicant is aware of numerous cap receiving racks and display devices, some of which simply facilitate cap storage while others are intended to cause the bill of the cap to be shaped into a unique desired configuration and held in that position until removed from the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,027 to Frey teaches a device for shaping the brim of a sports cap, having two grooves of different curvatures, the shaper being incorporated into a variety of systems for display. Koenig discloses a cap-receiving device with slots provided for the receipt of the bill of a cap in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,102. The cap-receiving member described in the '102 patent has a generally elliptical outer surface extending from the flat back surface in generally parallel relation to the elliptical slot.
Rigler, et al. teaches a cap storage and bill shape maintenance device in U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,879, the device including a plurality of generally horseshoe-shaped bill slots. The device of the '879 patent stores a plurality of caps for future use while maintaining the shape of the bill of each cap. A wall-mounted device for holding stacked baseball-style caps is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,931 to Cobb and U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,894 to Aiken discloses a cap rack for storing and displaying baseball caps which may be installed on a vertical or horizontal surface. Mallory teaches a collapsible hat display stand for holding caps which is easy to package, assemble and carry in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,967.
A brim-forming cap holder is taught by Atkins in U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,779 which will hold baseball style caps forming the brim into a rolled state and LaManna discloses a holder for caps including a base and a plurality of contoured clamp members for insertion of the cap bill therebetween. Miller teaches a brimmed cap storage and display device having a hollow cylindrical member for cap bill insertion therein in U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,400 and Larson describes a hat holder stand for supporting the bill of a cap in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,694.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
The present invention provides yet another cap holding and display device attachable to a vertical surface and also forces the brim into a desired configuration and holds it thusly until the cap is selected for use. Additionally, any decorative logos, club or athletic team logos, geographic locations and the like attached to the front of the cap is readily viewable as part of the display feature of this invention.